FIBA was founded in 1958 by Frank Finn and Al Bamford – they combined the first two letters of their surnames to form the company name. Frank Finn was the father of current President and CEO Jack Finn.
Initially a small industrial and medical gas distributorship, FIBA evolved into a gas containment equipment supplier. The company then entered the testing market and eventually developed a patent for trailers that would support a more efficient and less cost-prohibitive testing process.
These were the beginnings of what has become a leading manufacturer in the storage and transportation of high-pressure gases.
FIBA’s move into tube trailer and ISO skid manufacturing, testing, repairing and leasing put it on the map as a major brand in the gas containment industry.
Investment has been key to its growth and developing sites into Louisville, KY, East Greenville, PA, and Midvale, OH facilities supported FIBA’s desire to also provide equipment and services for the transportation and storage of cryogenic products. Sites in Adelanto, CA and Rayne, LA have since been added to give the company a truly national presence.
In 2003, FIBA made the decision to begin manufacturing its own seamless pressure vessels and relocated its headquarters to Millbury, MA to accommodate the new operation’s needs. It has since moved to a larger facility in Littleton, MA to further expand its manufacturing capabilities and product lines.
With significantly more capabilities, FIBA is now the only completely vertically integrated gas containment equipment supplier in the world.
The company’s culture is vital to its success.
FIBA has always been a family-owned and family-run company, and this gives it many of its qualities: a pioneering approach to the industry, a commitment to investment, and working with integrity across all relationships.
Family is central to the company. When people join the FIBA team they tend to stay – FIBA has employees who have been with the company for decades.
FIBA is known and trusted across the gas industry – these relationships are founded on FIBA being able to anticipate emerging industry requirements and to respond with valuable solutions.
More than 300 people work across the six U.S. sites and FIBA Taiwan. FIBA continues to look ahead, developing innovative designs that can benefit the entire industry. It also sees increasing demand in specific areas, not least for composite trailers. For example, FIBA has received DOT approval for the testing of various composite cylinders as demand continues to grow for this specialist service.
FIBA also has a continuous investment program focused on plant and people. The company prides itself on investing in cutting-edge technology and in employing highly skilled personnel.
The next evidence of this investment program will be the opening of a FIBA Europe plant in the near future.
Congratulations to all GAWDA members celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2023.
GAWDA members represent the best-of-the-best companies in the gases and welding industries. Each year in the Summer issue, we recognize those GAWDA Members celebrating milestone anniversaries. In the Q3 issue’s President’s Column, GAWDA President Robert Anders explored the three C’s of longevity. We want to add a fourth C for this column: Congratulations to all those GAWDA members celebrating anniversaries this year! And if you have a milestone anniversary coming up in 2024 and would like to be featured in this column next year, please reach out today at steveg@gawdamedia.com
